


Bruce's Secret

by natashasbanner



Series: Prompts [19]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-07-17 13:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16096418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/pseuds/natashasbanner
Summary: Every week, Bruce disappears for hours and nobody bats an eye until Natasha takes and interest and follows him one day. What she finds is not at all what she expected.From the prompt: Love your fics! I'm so happy you're taking prompts again. :) Here's one- Post Avengers, Bruce disappears for three or four hours a few times a week and nobody knows where he's going. Natasha follows him one day and is surprised to find him volunteering at a library reading to kids or at an animal shelter, etc. So basically Bruce being surrounded by little, innocent creatures (and quite possibly a bit of chaos), and loving it.





	Bruce's Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Oh I love this one, it was so fun to write. Please enjoy :)

“I’ll see you guys later,” Bruce waved to his teammates as he passed the couches on his way to the elevator. Everyone waved his way, but didn’t pay much attention to his exit.   
  
Everyone except Natasha that was. She spun around in the armchair she was lounging in to watch the doctor disappear onto the elevator. It was something she noticed when she first moved into the tower and she was the only one seemed concerned about it. Bruce disappeared every other day, he left early in the afternoon and didn’t get back until later in the evening, and no one batted an eye.   
  
She’d kept quiet about it for months but her curiosity finally won out. If anyone would know where Bruce it would be Tony. She took the elevator down to the labs and entered without knocking.   
  
Tony looked up at the sound of footsteps. “Authorized personnel only.”   
  
“Very funny,” she deadpanned. “Do you know where Bruce sneaks off to all time?”   
  
“I wouldn’t call it sneaking, but no I don’t know.”   
  
“Are you sure?” She asked. Tony and Bruce were practically attached at the hip. She found it a bit hard to believe that he had no idea what Bruce was up to.   
  
“He was getting antsy a couple months back so I told him he should find something outside the tower to do. He didn’t tell me what he found and I never asked.”   
  
Natasha sighed. “Thanks anyway,” she said and turned to leave. She went up to her floor and thought of all the possible places he could be going but ended up ruling everything out. She decided that the next time Bruce went out she was going to follow him and get to the bottom of it.   


* * *

 

Her opportunity came Friday afternoon when Bruce walked past the couches and waved to everyone on his way to the elevator. Natasha watched from the kitchen and waited until the elevator doors closed to head for the stairs. She made it outside shortly after Bruce did and easily spotted him in the crowd. She pulled her hood over her head and started down the street after him.   
  
Natasha followed him for a while. She lost him couple times, Bruce was better than her at moving around undetected, but was able to stay on his trail most of the way. After walking around for almost half an hour, Natasha was beginning to think Bruce was just wandering around New York for hours, but then he actually turned to go inside a building on their left.   
  
Natasha hurried forward to finally see where Bruce had been sneaking off to and was confused to see it was a library. What the hell was Bruce doing at a public library? She’d seen the man’s personal collection of books and with the computers in the labs he could access any information he could imagine. So why was he here? She jogged up the stairs and pushed open the heavy glass doors.   
  
Once Natasha was inside she went to work trying to find Bruce. She wandered around the entire first floor, pretending to browse the shelves to appear less suspicious, but she didn’t see him. She moved on to the second floor but came up short again. Natasha searched every part of that library but still couldn’t locate Bruce. At this point she was ready to call it quits and just call him, but the sound of raucous laughter and a familiar voice coming from the children’s section.   
  
Confused and very much intrigued, Natasha followed the sound to the source. What she found warmed her heart and brought a smile to her face. In the center of a brightly colored carpet Bruce Banner sat on a small stool with about twenty kindergartners dancing around him. They chanted along with Bruce as he read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.   
  
Natasha hid behind a shelf and just watched as Bruce continued to read to the kids. She couldn’t help the smile on her face as she witnessed Bruce relaxed and letting loose. The fact that he was surrounded by little kids made it even better.   
  
Bruce finished the book but let the kids dance around him for a couple more minutes. Natasha never thought she would get to see this side of Bruce, so open and carefree with these kids. It was refreshing.   
  
“Alright kiddos sit down, time for the last book.” Bruce said in a quietly firm voice, there were several cries of protest but eventually the kids settled down and sat in front of Bruce all eager for the next book.   
  
Bruce reached into his bag and showed the kids the book he’d chosen with wide eyes. Excited cheers erupted from the children when they saw the front cover and Natasha couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.   
  
“Where the Wild Things Are,” Bruce began while Natasha remained hidden behind the shelf.   
  
She stood, hypnotized by the gentle rise and fall of his voice as it changed for each new character. It was calming and seemed to have a similar effect on the children. Natasha looked away from Bruce long enough to see several children with droopy eyes and one was even already asleep.   
  
The book ended too soon in Natasha’s opinion, and the kids were lead out by what she assumed was their teacher, leaving Bruce alone on his stool, the shadow of a smile on his face.   
  
“I know you’re there Natasha,” he whispered only loud enough for her to hear. “You can stop hiding now.”   
  
Slowly, similar to when they first met, she stepped out from behind the books until she was standing at the edge of the carpet.   
  
“How long did you know I was here?” She asked not entirely surprised that he’d been aware of her presence.   
  
“You walked right past me after I ducked into that coffee shop,” he told her with a slight chuckle.   
  
Natasha nodded and toed the edge of the bright carpet, “You’re harder to tail than I expected.”   
  
Bruce laughed at that and started picking up the books he read. “Did you enjoy the stories?”   
  
“I did,” she admitted. “Why didn’t you tell anyone that this is what you’ve been coming to do?”   
  
“I guess I just wanted something for me, you know. Something outside the team,” he admitted without meeting her gaze.   
  
“I get it,” Natasha assured him. “Besides you’re a natural with them.”   
  
“You sound surprised,” he said finally looking up at her. “Kids are easy. All they want is a story and a friend. No judgement, no ulterior motives.”   
  
“I’ll leave you to it then,” she said ready to let him have his privacy, but his voice stopped her.   
  
“Stay. The next group will be in soon. It’ll be fun. I’m sure the kids will love you.” He said with a quirk of his lips.   
  
“I don’t have to, this is your thing,” she started but was interrupted by the excited squeals of more children as they ran past her right for Bruce.   
  
Natasha watched with a fond smile as the kids all but tackled the man with hugs and handed him drawing after drawing. This continued until the last five year old pulled their chubby hands away from Bruce. Like the last group they sat cross legged, their full attention on Bruce.   
  
One little girl sitting directly in front of Bruce looked over at Natasha curiously and then back at Bruce.   
  
“Who’s she, Mr. Bruce?”   
  
“This is my friend. Can you all say hi to Miss Natasha?”

  
“Hi, Miss Natasha.” The children chorused in unison.    
  
Natasha waved at them awkwardly, not entirely sure what she was supposed to say to the kindergartners. Bruce sensed her discomfort and saved her. He got up to grab another stool and sat it down next to him with an expectant pat.   
  
“What do you guys say to Miss Natasha joining us for story time? Maybe she’ll even read a book or two.” Bruce asked the kids who responded with an excited yells, all excited for the new person to read with them.   
  
Bruce looked at Natasha with a smug smirk and a pat on the stool. Natasha smirked back and walked around the carpet to claim her seat next to Bruce. He picked a book out of the pile next to him and handed it to her. Natasha hesitated before taking it and reading the cover.   
  
“Dr. Suess’ Green Eggs and Ham,” before opening the cover and flipping to the first page.


End file.
